• The South African Airways Open has a rich history and is the second oldest National Open Championship in the world, dating back to 1893, (that year it was played as an exhibition where it was first played in Port Elizabeth). Only The Open Championship, which started in 1860 is older.

• Defending champion Ernie Els will be looking for sixth victory in the South African Open Championship. Should he make a successful defence, it would be the second European Tour event he has won in consecutive years, following the Heineken Classic between 2002-04. The last player to win back-to-back South African Opens; was Trevor Immelman in 2003-04.

• The 1999 champion, David Frost created European Tour history when he triumphed at Stellenbosch by creating the biggest gap between victories – 14 years and 95 days, from when he won the 1984 Compagnie de Chauffe Cannes Open.

• When Richie Ramsay defeated Shiv Kapur in the 2010 event, he became only the third European to win the South African Open, following Tommy Horton in 1970 and Mathias Gronberg in 2000.

• With Garth Mulroy winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship, he brought up the 100th official European Tour victory for South Africa.